Mining-machine.



A. BALL & M. P. HOLMES.

MINING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 27, 1909.

1 1 85,279. L fPatented May, 1916.

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A. BALL'L M. P. HOLMES.

MINING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED ocT. 27, 1909..

Patented May 30,1916.

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A.'BALL M. P. HOLMES.

' MINING MACH-INE.

I APPLICATION FILED OCT 27| 1909. I I 1,185,279'. Patented May 30, 1916.

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Zdneses In ven/ors Norris Zlolmels.

and more particularly sively to which are fed alongthe face or side o .reference to the in the county of Sullivan an vverse sectionin elevation on I UNITE ALBERT BALL AND Moimis 1. HoLMEsnEcLAnEMoNT, NEW HAMPSHIRE, AssiGNoIfis, VizY MEsNE ASSIGNMENTS, To SULLIVAN- MACHINERY COMPANY, 'or Bos'roN, Massacnusnrrs, A conronArIoN or MAssAciIUsEr'rs.

MINING-MACHINE.

To aZZwhofm/z't may concern:

Be it known that we, ALBERT BALL and Moniiis P. HOLMES, both citizens of the United States, and residentsof Claremont, d State of New Hampshire, have invented an Improvement vin Mining-Machines, of which the follow ing description, in connection with the'ac-v companying drawings, is a specification, like letters on-the drawings representing like parts.

This invention relates to mining machines though machines of the cutter chain type, f the wall in which the cutting is being made. Among the robjects of our invention are improved means for controlling and feeding such machine, and improved constructional features which provide a machine of coinpact form, great strength and effectiveness and convenience of arrangement.

Our invention will be best understood by following description, when takenin connection with theaccompanying illustration of one specific embodiment thereof, while its' scope will be more particularly i pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings: Figure 1 partly broken away, showing the principarts of a mining machine emform of ourinvention. Fig. 2

machine snown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a transthe line in Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a transverse section in elevation on the line 4-4 in Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a longitudinal sectional elevation on the line 5-5 in Fig. 1. Fig. 6 is a detail in plan of the central supporting memberfor the cutter bar. Fig. -7

elevation showing the supporting member.

Fig..8 is a plan view of a portion ofthe main frame. Fig. 9 shows in elevation the arrangement of the reversingand driving gearing for the valve shaft. Fig. 10 shows a section in plan on the line 1-0-10 in Fig. 9. Fig. 11 is a detail of the holding pin for the swing arm brace; and Figs.

Specification of Letters Patent. Application led 0cto`per27,

is a plan view' is a transverse section Patented Maysaieio. 1909. seria1No.524,93s. v

12, 13 and 14 are diagrammatic representations showin the machine with its cutter bar and feeding mechanism in different relations. l A

Referring to the drawings and to the embodiment of our invention selected for purposes 'of illustration, there is disclosed an air Adriven chain lmining called long-wall type, adapted to make a continuous cut ,while traveling close to 'the face of the wall, the top of the mine being y either. po

ychine travels.

While we have shown our invention embodied in such a type of machine, it is to be understood that it has application as to many of its features to machines of other` types and constructions and employingother forms of motivepower.

Referring to the drawings, the machine there illustrated has the body or main frame member 1 Awith a cutter bar 2 projecting therefrom transverse to 4the direction of greatest length and preferably inclined slightly toward the direction .of machine travel. The cutter bar as usual carries a suitable cutter chain 3 which, together with the bar, maybe of any usual or well known construction. The cutter chain is moved as usual by a sprocket wheel 4, thelatter driven in turn through suitable power transmission gearing by the engine or motor on the machine.

While for such purposes any suitable construction may be employed, in the present machine supporting means are provided upon and with. which the machine is adapted to, move along the mine preferably, as herein shown, in the form of a bottom memmachine of the so` v sted or permitted to drop, eX- -cept in the narrow space in which the ma- 'ber of shoe 5, upon which the machine is adapted to slide, if desired, directly upon the bottom or ioor of the mine.

n order to hold the cutter chainv and the i the cutter bar as it travels is held up to the work without the actual necessity of rails or other like guiding supports, although the latter may be employed if desired.

In the illustrated form ofthe invention there is provided for this purpose a flexible guiding means either in the form of a cable chain 6, comprising two .portions or lengths 7 and 8, one passing to the advancing side of the machine and the other to the receding side thereof, (see Figs. 12r and 13), whereat each is connected to a fixed support. One portion is connected to the machine adjacent its wall or cutting end and the other near the opposite or rear end thereof. In the illustrative embodiment of the invention these two lengths or portions 7 and 8 form parts of a. single unbroken cable length one end of which is drawn into the machine as the other end is paid oil".

As seen in Figs. 1 and 12, the leading cable length 7 on the advancing side kof the machine, passes first to and about a guiding sheave 9 journaled about a substantially upright axis preferably near the foremost inner or wall corner of they machine. Thence the chain passes about the horizontal guiding sheave 10 and the slightly inclined sheaves 11 and 12 to the feed driving member 13 of the machine which herein consists of a lsprocket wheel located near the rear or cutter-bar-end of the machine and driven by appropriate power transmission mechanism.

'The guiding sheaves 11 and 12 are located near the corners ofthe machine so that the chain is caused to travel from the sheave 9 to the sprocket wheel along the outside of the machine. From the sprocket wheel 13 the chain passes to a guide sheave 14 carried by suitable support arm 15 and located near the outer corner of the machine.

The free end of the leading chain portion is secured to a suitable anchor 16 (Fig. 12) while the end of the receding or trailing chain portion is secured to a fixed and preferably adjustable support such as the takeup jack 17, similar to the take-up jack described in the prior patent to Mitchell, No. 656,414. The two cable portions, therefore, when under tension and with the cutter chain engaging the coal, serve to hold the cutter bar in its assigned position and the lattercan be regulated by adjusting the tension on the trailing cable 8 to swing the machine more or less about the guiding sheave 9 as a fulcrum.v Herein by the employment of the power driven sprocket wheel engag ing the chain, the machine is drawn along its flexible guide and automatically given its own traversing feed, so that in the preferred embodiment of the invention herein .illustrated and described the chain performs the function of feeding the machine as well as of guiding the-same. i

Referring to the connection of the cutter `Q mesme bar to the machine, the bottom shoe 5 extends preferably for the entire width and extent of the frame member 1, the'latter at the rear or cutter bar end being so formed as to provide a space above the shoe inwhich the cutter bar is swiveled. The cutter bar is pro-vided'at its inner end with a removable cap pi'ece 18 by which it may be secured to a pivotal support 19, the latterbeing in the form of a iianged sleeve riveted to or otherwise secured to the shoe.

The cutter bar is so arrangedthat it may be locked in cutting position at either sideof the'machine, so that the machine may be used for cutting in either direction, or the bar may be locked lengthwise the machine for convenience in'transportation or for the purpose of making a starting or sumping cut if desired. As shown in Figs. 1 and 3, the frame plate is provided at each side with an opening 20 adapted to receive a locking pin 21, which also enters a suitable opening in the cutter bar when the latter is brought 1nto the proper position for cutting. rlhe locking holes 20 are located slightly in front of a true rightv angled relation so that the ar when locked in `position is inclinedforward a few degrees in the direction of cutting, thereby serving better to hold the traversed machine into the coal. The lower end of the locking pin 21 lits into a recessedl holding plate 22, secured to the shoe-5 and is held therein against displacement by means of the locking bolt 23.

When it is desired to reverse the cutter bar and cut on the opposite side of the machine, the lockingv pin is removed, the bar swung around to thev opposite side of the machine and locked thereat as shown, in Fig. 13, the cutter bits being also reversed on the cutter chain. The supporting arm l5 for the guide sheave 14 is swiveled upon the frame so that in this relation of the cutter bar the connection of the feeding and guiding chain can also be'completely rc-` versed. The supporting arm 15 is held fixed in its assigned position by means of the brace arm 24 jointed to the supporting arm at its outer end and having a slot'25 at its-inner end which may be slipped over an upright hooked shaped stud 26, (see Fig. 11) one such stud lbeing secured to the frame of the machine at either side so that the sheave arm maybe swung to and fastened in either the position shownin Fig. 12 or that' shown in Fig. 13. The stud is shown in vdetail in Fig. 11.

The supporting arm at its inner end (Figs. 5 and 7) is swiveled upon the uplill@ right stud 27, the latter secured in the frame 11.26

andsupporting member for the end of the L80 frame relatively to the shoe. If it is desired to swing/the cutter bar and fasten it in a central position lengthwise the machine, it is fastened therein by the post 28 Whlch is `caused to enter and engage the locking opening 30 in the cutter bar (see Fig. 1). The4 lower end 31 of the post is necked downat 32 so .that it canenter an arc-shaped -slot 33 in the holdingplate 34 fastened' to the shoe 5. The edges of the slot overlie the end 3l of the post so as to hold the same in position except when the post is removed through the open end of the slot.'4 When it is deslred to lock the cutter barinpits central position the post 28 is free by' unscrewing tlre bolt 29 and 'itl is then drawn 'out from the holding plate and inserted in the locking opening 30 of the cutter bar. The bar is then unlocked from its side position and swung around to its central position until the lower end of the post swings into the slot 33 and is held -and positioned by the holding plate. The bolt 29 which has been held up out of the vWay bythe lifting with the machine the cutter bar may be spring 35 is then screwed down to lock the bar fast.

It will be observed that the guiding sheave 12 for the feed chain has a complementary guide sheave 36 located at a corresponding point on the opposite side of the machine. Such sheave is idle when the machine is arranged to cut as shown in Figs. 1 and 12, but is utilized when'the cutter bar and the feeding connections are reversed as shown in Fig. 13, the sheave 12 being then the idle sheave. That is to say not only is the cutter bar reversible so that the machine can cut in either direction, but the feeding .and guidi g connections are also reversible and prefe ably symmetrical with reference to the centier line of the machine so that by swinging the guide sheave 14 to a reverse position `and reversing the relation of the chain to the series of guiding sheaves, the

machine can quickly be prepared for relocked in a central position, as shown in Fig. 14, and, with or without the employment of the usualstarting frame or other guiding means, the machine may be made to draw itself into the coal by anchoring the free end of the chain at 59 near the face of the coal.

Referring now to the structure of the machine, it is to be noted thatv the frame plate 1 not only forms-a b ed` late forthe engine .at the forward end of e machine, but extends rearw'ardlyjas a single unbroken member suitably braced and strengthened, over- 1 hanging the cutterfbar as described, vand forming a supportjorthe superposed power transmitting mechanism. At the rear end f of the Imachine vthere is formed an open space between the frame and the shoe, obstructed only by the post 28, through which space the cutter chain vmoves and the coal cuttings pass. f

The engine may be -of` any suitable construction, but herein we have. provided a compressed air engine with its cylinders arranged transversely the greatest length of the machine, thereby securing the mini-l mum width of machine while permitting Athe employment of/three cylinders and securing the resultant advantages of athree-cylinder engine. Such arrangement also. serves better to bring the reversing and other controlf ling devices at the end of the machine where they are always accessible, irrespective of the posting of the mine, while at the same time, it permits a simple and better disposition of the power transmitting gearing.

The transmission of power is obtained (Figs. 4 and 5) from the .engine crankshaft 37 through the gears 38 and 39 to the main driving shaft 40. The latter drives the upright power shaft 41 through the beveled pinion 42 and beveled gear 43, the latter keyed to the power shaft and adapted to be clutched to or -unclutched from the sprocket wheel 4 by means of a usual clutching device 44 common in this class of machine. The frame member is so fashioned at 45 as to provide what is practically a lrunning iit for the edge of the beveled gear completely closing the gearing chamber above rom the cutter bar space, vso as'to exclude dirt and above.

The frame member is not split or separated through the axis of the uprightv power-shaft `cuttings from access tothe gearing as'hasv been customary in machines of this type,vbeing formed in a single piece (see Fig. 8), and being provided with the central openlng just large enough to receive the beveled gear at 45,v this permitting the assemblage of the remaining gearing. When the parts are assembled, this opening is closed by means ofthe plate 46 which also provides an upper bearing for the power shaft 41, the lower bearing therefor being provided by the cutter bar support 19.-

The sprocket wheel 13 is journaled on an upright stud 47, and is located preferably, near the rear center of the machine. To drive the sprocket Wheel from the power shaft, transmission gearing is provided of any well known or usual type, whereby, as

is customary, the machine may be driven at either one of a plurality of speeds and preferably through frictional or other yielding transmission devices. rlhe details of 'the feed gearing areindicated on the drawings, but since they are not hereinclaimed, further description is unnecessary.

Referring to 'the compressed air supply, the latter is received through the inlet opening 48 which is connected with any suitable nected with the engine admission chambers,v

such passages not being herein shown. The volume of the receiving chamber being appreciably large as compared with that of the cylinders and having preferably, though not necessarily, a capacity of not less than two of the cylinders combined, there is 'maintained an even supply pressure tothe engines irrespective of their pulsations. This is of markedl advantage in a traveling machine 4 where the larger sizes of hose are stift' and heavy and diiiicult to handle. The use of the receiving chamber permits the employment of a smaller supply hose than could be used where the pressure Huid is supplied directly to the engines and without the inter- Aposition of a receiving chamber.

Referring now to the engine reversing means, we have provided devices for reversing the engine without the necessity of the usual eccentrics or' eccentric connections which latter take up an amount of space not easily spared in this type of machine. rlhe reversing mechanism` is also so arranged that it can be controlled from-the end of'the machine.

, lformer in either direction.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 9 to l0, inclusive. the engine is provided with a separate valve Icrank shaft 51 which has a gear 52 driven from gear 53 on the main drive shaft 40. The gear 53, however, instead of being driven directly from the shaft 40 is mounted upon an extension of the hub of the gear 39 and is driven by that gear through a suitable connection providing for a certain amount of lost motion. For this purpose the gears 53 and 39 are provided with interlocking projections 54 and 55, respectively, through which the latter is adapted to drive the however, is provided for as indicated in Fig. 9, so that, when the machine is at rest, if the-gear 54 is turned ahead of the gear 55, the valve operating shaft will be advanced by approximately 120 and will start the engine `up lin areverse direction. For example, as shown in Fig. 9, the gear 39 is turning in the direction of the arrow and Lost motion,

driving the gear 53 through engagementgbetween the projections 54 and 55 at the point 56. If the engine is brought to rest, however, and thegear 53 is moved to bring the projection 54 against 55 at the point 57, the valve operating shaftv will "be, moved by a sufficient amount to start up the engine in a reverse direction. The gear is thus moved to reverse ythe engine by merely turning the valveoperating-shaft itself, the latter, for this purpose, being extended vthrough the front .wall of the frame member so as to prehad.

' Claims:

1. A miningmachine comprising in combination, a frame, a cutter bar pivotally mounted relative to said frame and adapted to be swung from one side thereof to the other, a shoe for said machine adapted to slide along the mine bottom during the operation of said machine, iexible advance and' rearwardly extending guiding and feeding means and connecting means providing for reversal relative to said frame of the operative relation of said flexible advance and rearwardly extending guiding and feeding means when the` position of the cutter bar relative to said frame is reversed.'

2.l A mining machine comprising, in com* bination, a] frame, a cutter bar projecting from said frame, acutter chain, a pivotal mounting for said cutter bar whereby it mayv be swung relatively to vsaidA frame, means for securing said bar in adjusted position, a iiexible guiding and feeding member engaging said frame at a point adjacent the side of the machine from which the cutterbar projects and adjacent the advance end of the machine, said flexible guiding and feeding member engaging said frame at a point adjacent the opposite side of the machine and adjacent the receding end thereof, operating means on the machine to engage said flexible guiding and feeding member and means to reverse said operating means when the cutter bar is swung into reverse position, whereby the sa'me relative relation to said cutter bar may be maintained. y

. 3. A mining machine comprising in comat either side f the tom during the operationv of said machine, iexible advance and rearwardly extending guiding and feeding means and connecting means providing for reversal relative to said frame of the operative relation of sald flexible advance and rearwardly extending guidin and feeding means wlien the position o the cutter bar relative to said frame is reversed.

4. A mining machine having cutting means and flexible guiding means, fulcruming guide connection for the guiding means near the forward wall corner of the machine, and reversing means for the guiding means including a guidelfor the guiding means near the rear outer corner of the machine and means permitting the last named guide to be shifted toward one side or the other of the machine.

5. A mining machine comprising, in combination,\a` frame, a cutter bar projecting from said frame, a cutter chain, cutter bar holding means providing for holding said cutter bar in xed relation to said frame at either side of said frame, a flexible guiding and feeding member engaging said frame at a point adjacent the side of the machine from which the cutter bar projects and adjacent the advance endv of the machine, said flexible guiding and feeding member engaging said frame at a point adjacent the opposite side of the machine and adjacent the receding end thereof, operating means on the machine to engage said flexible guiding and feeding member, and means to reverse said operating means when the cutter bar is swung into reverse position, whereby the same relative relation to said cutter bar may be maintained.

6. A mining machine comprising, in combination, a frame, a cutter bar movable from -one side of said frame to the opposite side thereof, means-forseci`1ring said cutter bar in adjusted position, flexible guiding and positioning means, rotaryT means engaging said flexible guiding and positioning means, and a plurality of fulcrums so organized and arranged relative to the machine and relative to each other that said flexible guiding and positioning means may operatively engage said frame atsubstantially diagonally'opp'os'te portions'of said frame, said fulcrum being positioned on o posite sides of the machine, whereby the exible guiding and positioning means may be arranged on the side of the machine opposite that from which the cutter bar projects.

7. A mining machine having a guiding and feeding chain, a driving sprocket wheel engaging the same located centrally on the machine, and means connecting said chain to the machine including a guidemember machine having proviopposite end there guide `machine and a sion permitting the chain to be reversed to drive the machine in either direction.

8. A mining machine having a cutter bar, an undivided frame member above the cutter bar, an engine, ing between said engine and said shaft, said frame member having a central opening to provide for the assemblage of the transmission gearing, and a plate` closing the said opening.

. 9. A mining machine yhaving means, machine propelling means, guiding means presenting a pair of members connected each to a fixed support one on the advancing side of the machine and the other on the receding side thereof and connected to the machine one near the wall or cutting end and the other near the cutting flexible opposite end thereof, and means for reversing said guiding means including a guide for the receding member and means permitting said guide to be shifted from one side of said machine to the other to receive said guiding means.

y10. A mining machine having cutting means, machine propelling means, flexible guidingl means presenting a pair of guide members one on the advancing side of the machine and the other on the receding side thereof and connected to the machine one near the wall or cutting end and the other near the.

of, said machine being provided with a fulcrum guide for said means at each forward corner of the guide at each diagonally opposite corner therefrom and an adjustable guide whereby said machine may be connected to said guiding means to move in either direction.

11. A mining machine having cutting means, means permitting said cutting means to be positioned at either side of the machine, vflexible guiding means presenting a each to av pair of guide members connected fixed support one on they advancing side of 'the machine and the other on the receding side thereof, and reversing means for said guiding means including a guide member adapted to be positioned at either side of the center line of the machine whereby the guide means in engagement therewith may be connected to the machine near the wall side or near the opposite side thereof.

In testimony whereof, we have signed our naines to this eciication, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

'ALBERT BALL. MORRIS r. HOLMES.A

Witnesses:

FRANK A. BALL, Lin-i A. KNIGHT.

a shaft transmission gearguidingv connected each to a xed support 

